Health officials in Torit State are calling on pregnant women to visit health facilities for antenatal care and child birth to prevent infant and maternal mortality in the state.
Dr. Elijo Lomoro Tahir, the director general in the state ministry of health speaking during a workshop on antenatal management on Wednesday said a majority of rural pregnant women only rush to a health facility when complications occur.
“The number of women going to hospital for antenatal care in the rural areas is low. The traditional birth attendants expose children to risk because of being unskilled and unhygienic. The infant might die or the mother, it has happened,” Lomoro said.
He added that although statistics have not been established, a huge number of women put themselves and their unborn babies at risk by deciding to deliver at home due to traditional beliefs.
“People are still stuck to their own traditional ideas and you know they deliver at home. They only report to the hospital when there are complications and the woman is not able to deliver and is usually the last stage, the women end up dying,’’ Lomoro lamented.
Atto Siama Joseph, a participant at the workshop said the main challenge for women is a lack of awareness on the importance of delivery at the hospital.
She noted that while she has seen women delivering at home experiencing complications, they fear going to the hospital because they will be required to test for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis.